My Lord, Uchiha
by MaidenFaye
Summary: Sakura was left at the Uchiha Palace to become a servant when she was young. As she grew, Sakura learned how to practically run the place. When she begins to serve Lord Madara directly, things begin to change for her. She starts to have romantic feelings for him. Though there would always be a complication; he is a demon and immortal because of it. She is human. (Rating may change)
1. Chapter 1

"Come on, Sakura. We have no time to dawdle."

Mebuki ran with a young Sakura who was trying her hardest to keep up. They went through the marketplace in the Uchiha Kingdom, just at the base of the newly built palace. The pinkette looked around to see many strange looking people, some with different colored skin and others with markings on their faces or deep scars visible. They suddenly abandoned their home without her parents giving a reason and now they were running to a demon palace. She still wasn't even sure what a demon was or why they were considered dangerous.

They stopped at the front gate where Kizashi, her father, stood talking with a couple of men clad in armor with red eyes and three tomoe around the pupil. She looked back to her mother, afraid. Once they stopped running for a moment, she started to catch her breath. She held close to Mebuki, peeking around to look at the palace. The gates were silver and the two columns on the side were white with the Uchiha symbol etched on the top going all the way around consistently to match the giant white and red symbol in the middle of the gate. The cylinder blocks were built high and the same color as the bars of the gate.

The palace on the outside was made of stone and had a beautiful marble colored mixture, the windows were open and made with beautiful colored glass. Through the palace there were many balconies to be seen. The eight year old stared in awe; it was like a dream. Before she knew it the gates were opened by the two dark haired men and the three Haruno walked along the beautiful white stone pathway. She looked around at the tall trees that offered a heap of shade all over the front of the palace. The sunset made it look even more delightful. They walked over a lovely bridge that had pure white rails that looked as if they grew up from the ground and curved, giving off a vine look.

Once they crossed the bridge Sakura looked back at the small river that flowed underneath it. She let out a whimper, wanting to go back and explore. As they climbed the stairs, Sakura noticed how elegant the two men's clothing were. It made the tattered and tore clothing her family wore seem out of place. Her mother's tan dress was ripped up badly, it came to her mid thigh and it was unnoticeable that it originally came down to her ankles. Her father's white pants were stained with dirt and his sleeves were torn completely off. Sakura herself had a short tan dress with stains on the bottom and worn out sandals.

They walked through the giant wooden door and opened inward. It was already pulled all the way back to allow guests in. She noticed her mother perk up a bit and looked around her to see why. There stood a woman with long dark hair and eyes to match, wearing a beautiful dark blue gown that flared just below the waist with a sash tied around her waist standing below a long and wide staircase. They walked over to her and stopped, the two men standing next to her as Sakura's parents bowed to them.

"Fugaku, I am so sorry for coming on such an important day," Mebuki apologized.

"It could not be helped. At least we have free time for the moment," he replied.

"Mebuki, are you sure about this?" the woman asked grabbing her mother's hands and holding them.

"I have no choice Mikoto. I cannot let Sakura live our lives," Mebuki said looking own with sad eyes. "Thank you for taking her."

"I am sorry we could not do more for you. The marketplace was filled as soon as we allowed people to come to our kingdoms. And the palace..." Mikoto began to explain.

"I understand, you had to put up such an argument. As long as my daughter is safe, I do not care what happens to us."

"Fugaku, Kagami, please be kind." Kizashi bowed.

"No worries Kizashi. As long as she is like Mebuki then there are no worries," Kagami shrugged.

"Hey! What does that mean?" he said while the Uchiha laughed.

"Sakura, would you like to explore the palace?" Mikoto asked leaning down with her hands on her knees, giving her a friendly smile. Sakura nodded slowly. "Alright then. Sasuke, could you come here a moment?" she called as she stood up.

"Do I have to?" a voice answered from atop the stairs.

"Yes, now get down here!" she shouted.

A young boy about her age came down the stairs, dressed in a short sleeved blue shirt and dark pants. His bangs were short in front and got longer towards the sides, much like Mikoto, and the rest of his hair was combed awkwardly back. He looked like Mikoto to some degree. He put his hands in his pockets as he stopped next to the woman, looking at the Haruno family. He seemed uninterested and glanced up at the railings. Sakura could see someone hiding around the corner but could not figure out what they were doing.

"This is Sakura. She is going to be staying with us. Would you show her around the palace?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes, mother," he said, not really enthusiastic.

"Sakura," Mikoto called. She let go of her mother and stood with her hands in front of herself, looking up at the Uchiha. "This is my son, Sasuke. He will show you around."

"Stop it," he said trying to swat his mothers hand from his head. Sakura giggled at the interaction.

"Sakura, you are going to be staying here from now on. Remember we love you," Mebuki said bending down to hug her, kissing her forehead. Her father repeated the action before Mikoto had Sakura follow Sasuke.

As she walked up to the staircase, Sakura looked back at her parents. She had no idea what was going on or why she was being left at the palace. From they way they talked it seemed as if the two were not coming back and she was going to be alone. It made her heart ache thinking about it that way. They wouldn't really leave her alone, would they? She wanted answers as to why they were doing this but she didn't think she would get them. After they reached the top of the stairs, Sasuke stopped and turned to her.

"Where are you from?" he asked. She did not reply, only avoiding eye contact while folding her arms in front of her. "You shouldn't be so down. You're going to like it here," he said tilting his head to try to look at her face.

"I want to go home with mommy and daddy," she said trying not to cry. Sasuke looked over at the adults, noticing his mother hugging and consoling the woman who was crying. He had an idea of what was going on; not as oblivious as most children his age.

"Hey, what interests you?" he asked trying to change the subject.

"Uh, well..." she said unsure.

"Do you like cooking? Swimming?" She shook her head while avoiding eye contact. "What about drawing... or reading?" He noticed her perk up at the last suggestion. "You want to see the library?"

"Y-yes," she said, nodding with interest.

Sasuke showed her the way down long hallways and towards the back of the palace. They passed the windows that she couldn't help but stop and look out, getting a great view of the kingdom. She had never been in a place with such big windows before. Then again, she had never really been anywhere other than her home. She was always inside reading and helping her mother because every other kid picked on her. It was strange being in such a nice place with nice people and not being teased.

As they walked along, Sasuke would give a brief description of things as they passed. He was nice enough to make sure she understood what was going on and answered her unspoken questions. They finally stopped at a giant door that had two slender dragons carved into the sides, moving up and meeting near the top. He pushed both doors open much to her surprise, considering he was as small as she was and led her in. She was still a bit reluctant but followed him regardless.

The walls themselves were bookshelves and filled the entire room. It was bigger than the entrance into the palace and was almost twice as tall. She ran ahead of him and looked around, noticing how all the books were in alphabetical order. She looked through them, grabbing a few interesting ones as she went along. Sasuke grabbed some to carry from her. As soon as she could no longer hold anymore, the two headed to one of the many tables to sit and read. Sasuke grabbed a book from the shelf and sat back with his legs on the table as he read.

Sakura opened a book as she sat down to start reading. She tried to concentrate but after a few pages, got bored and put it down. She grabbed another only to repeat the same thing. She stopped and sat there, picking at her fingernails from nervousness. Ever since her mother taught her to read, she loved books and was always fascinated with information she could learn. But now she had no motivation to read, all she wanted was to go back to her parents. She looked over to see Sasuke, wanting to ask questions.

"Sasuke! I can't believe you left me with dopey!" someone shouted, causing them both to jump.

"Ugh," Sasuke groaned.

"If he gets me in trouble I am putting all the blame on you," a short haired blonde girl said grabbing his chair and pulling back so she could look down on him. She wore a short sleeved orange shirt and dark blue capri pants. Part of her hair was pulled back with a cute purple flower clip.

"Ino, I don't have time for your yammering," he said adjusting the chair from her grip. "Besides my mother is the one who summoned me so I had to leave."

"That is no excuse," she said with her hands on her hips. She looked over to Sakura, taking notice that she was there for the first time. "Who are you?"

"Sakura," she answered timidly, her hands in front of her.

"Hm, pink hair. Interesting," she smiled walking over to her. "You look like a sheep dog." Ino giggled as she moved her hair from her face.

"You sure do have a way with making people feel at home," Sasuke said sarcastically.

"Wow you have such a wide forehead!" Ino exclaimed with laughter.

Sakura swatted her hand away, jolting out of the library. She hated being teased, it seemed like it would never stop. As she turned the corner she ran into someone, almost falling over. Fortunately for her the person had caught her before she hit the ground. Sakura looked up to see a man with long dark and messy black hair with dark eyes. He was frightening and she froze from fear, shaking. Someone came from around him, laughing as he looked down at her. He had long brown hair, dark eyes and tan skin. She took notice of their formal attire before the scary man helped her up.

The brown haired one had a reddish brown yukata with a white haori overlapping it and sandals. He was simple and plain, which seemed to match his carefree attitude. This man didn't look like one to enjoy formality. The dark haired one had a dark blue kimono top with matching hakama, a dark obi tied to the side and armor. He looked more like an evil warlord. Though both of them were tall, and intimating.

"You scare children so easily," the brown haired man laughed.

"Shut up, Hashirama!" the dark haired one said crossing his arms and pouting. "You must be Sakura. I heard about you from Mikoto," he said while looking down at her.

"Ye... yes," she replied.

"You shouldn't be afraid of Madara, he looks scary but he was just born that way," Hashirama smiled, leaning down and putting a hand to the side of his face and whispering. "Imagine a baby, making a pouting face."

"I heard that!" he shouted with shock as Hashirama laughed. Sakura covered him mouth to try to hide her giggle.

"Sakura! Oh... Lord Madara," Sasuke said as he turned the corner, bowing as quickly as he could.

"Why always blaaaaa-Lord Madara. Lord Hashirama," Ino said with a nervous laugh before bowing as well.

She had heard those names before. It suddenly dawned on Sakura that she had run into the great lords of the land. Well, ran into one and met another. She had overheard how the country was coming together because of a few clans creating Kingdoms and establishing territory. She never thought she would meet any of them. When her family made their way here, she figured with it being a palace that this would belong to a general or someone who was affiliated with the lords. She immediately bowed out of respect, feeling embarrassed for how she had met them.

"I'm sorry. I did not mean to run into you," she said, thankful she was able to speak without stuttering.

"It was more his fault for being in such a hurry," Hashirama said pointing at Madara.

"Go home," Madara said with a stern look, only for Hashirama to chuckle in amusement. "You have no need to apologize. It was an accident after all."

"So when are you returning to your castle, Lord Hashirama?" Ino asked, hands on her hip.

"Tonight. With that being said, have you seen Mito anywhere?"

"Lady Mito was looking after Naruto until she came along," Sasuke said pointing over his shoulder while walking up to Sakura.

"Big mouth," Ino gritted through her teeth.

"So then that little troublemaker is somewhere in my palace causing mischief?" Madara asked with a growl.

"Not alone. Most likely Obito is with him. Oops," Ino covered her mouth.

Hashirama and Madara looked at each other before rushing off. Sakura was so confused, she had no idea what to think about this place. Everyone was so happy with each other. Sasuke sighed and turned to Ino, saying something only for her to reply in her loud manner. She got the feeling the girl may not have been teasing her on purpose. From the way Ino acted, it looked as if she was just loud and straightforward. But Sakura still wasn't completely sure; Sasuke was the only one she felt she could cling to.

"Apologize!" Sasuke demanded.

"I shouldn't have to!"

"I will tell my mother what you did!" Ino fell silent with his last remark. She walked up to Sakura with a pout before looking at her.

"Sorry if I caused you to run off with what I said. There, happy?" she groaned at Sasuke.

"I-it's okay," Sakura replied. Ino titled her head trying to get a good view of her face. After a minute she grabbed her arm and began to drag the pinkette down the halls.

"You need to learn to get a backbone. Stop acting all scared and timid... Gah, you remind me of Hinata!" Ino said with irritation.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked.

"Here!" she said letting go of Sakura's hand, who almost fell, and put her hands on her hips triumphantly.

"Where is here?"

"The seamstress's room." Ino knocked on the door before barging in. "Give me one minute." She heard talking and laughter beyond the door.

"Ino?" she questioned when the girl came out the room.

"Your hair is driving me insane," she smiled before fixing Sakura's hair up, pulling too tight. "Give me a sec... Aha! There we go!" Her hair was now pulled back from her face with a red ribbon tied neatly. Sakura reached up to get the strands that were tangled up in it.

"Ouch," she said tugging.

"Sorry, I got a little too excited," she laughed, undoing it and fixing the ribbon properly.

"Thank you," Sakura replied.

"No hard feelings right. I'm just not use to new people," she said scratching the back of her head. Sakura shook her head, smiling happily.

Ino did seem pretty nice and very outgoing. Sakura liked her outgoing personality a bit, she was very different from people back home. Just then, Mikoto turned the corner and called to them; followed by Sasuke. She looked relieved to see the two. Sakura got closer to Ino, trying to hide behind her a bit. The blonde started laughing until Mikoto reached them with a scowl. Ino glared at Sasuke, knowing he probably told on her.

"Ino, you have chores to do."

"Yes my lady, but what about Sakura?" Ino asked as she looked at the pinkette.

"I will have you help her later," she replied. "Sasuke, you should get back to studying with Itachi."

"Understood." Both ran off, leaving Sakura and Mikoto alone.

"Sakura, would you like to see your new room?" she asked, kneeling down to look at her.

"My... room?"

"I am sure you know by now," Mikoto said with a sad look on her face. "You are the only one who can stay here. Your mother and father have already left."

"Why?" she asked, tearing up.

"You will understand one day. Forgive me, I wish you could comprehend it now," she said before standing."You are going to be a servant of this palace, but do not take it as a bad thing like many do."

She took Sakura's hand and led her down the halls. Sakura started to panic inside. She wanted to go back with her mother and father so badly, they never gave her a reason for leaving. Whatever it was, she was sure they could have found a way around it. For a minute, she contemplated running back to the entrance and trying to follow them. Unfortunately, she was taught to do as adults say. Mikoto wanted her to follow so she did. If she had to live in the palace then she wouldn't want to give a bad impression. Especially since Mikoto was being so nice to her.

They arrived down a hallways with many doors. Mikoto led her to one with silver vines and flowers carved up the sides, opening it and letting Sakura go in. The floor had gray tile with cream colored walls. There was a small bed in the corner with a small window over it and a desk with a white chair across from it. There were shelves built into the side of the desk as well. Next to the bed was a nightstand with a lantern on it, candle already inside. The bed had white pillows, red sheets, and a blanket that had pink flowers on it. Next to the door was a dresser with a huge mirror. Sakura walked in slowly, taking it all in.

"I fixed it up as much as I could. Your mother didn't really mention much about you so I do hope you like it," Mikoto said walking in and looking around. "The desk was brought in especially for you. I heard how much you love reading. This dresser and mirror belonged to a friend of mine but she had no use for it." She place a hand on it and looked to Sakura.

"It's... lovely." she replied, unsure what else to say.

"Oh and if you ever want to paint and customize you room, feel free. Just let me know. Please do me one favor though... do not get any ideas from Ino. Her room can be... a bit messy." Sakura giggled at the face she made.

"Thank you."

"You have a few weeks to get settled but then Ino will help train you. It seemed you two are getting along," she smiled.

"Why do I get all this if I am a servant?" Sakura asked confused. Mikoto suddenly had a smile and look of pride.

"Uchiha make sure everything they have is proper. How are things to be proper here if we do not take care of those who do what we have no time for?" she replied. "Most of us have our own jobs and the men mostly attend to battlefronts as well as the castle. You all are going to help take care of other things so that we do not have to worry and in return you get a bit of the luxury we own."

Sakura thought about it, not fully understanding why things wouldn't be proper. She was also a smart girl and knew that adults lived hard lives. She knew from watching her parents, who worked so hard but got so little. If they had been taken care of then her mother probably wouldn't have cried in the middle of the night and her father would never have come home as furious as he was half the time. That was probably what Mikoto meant. Things are bound to be better if you are happier. She shook her head, believing this may be a good thing for her. She didn't really know what kind of skills she had that could be useful but she promised herself to try to earn what she has for her parents' sake.

"Thank you, Lady Mikoto," Sakura bowed.

"I will let you relax, you had a long journey. When I return you will be getting a bath and new clothes," Mikoto said before turning to the door. "Oh, and Sakura? Welcome to your new home."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note: Okay so the prologue is just to set up how she got there and what happened on her first day since I will probably reference a bit of it later. Starting next chapter we are fast forwarding. Hope you enjoyed the beginning though!_**


	2. Chapter 2

The sunlight began to illuminate through the stained glass windows, giving notice that it was morning. With a groan the pinkette covered her face with her second pillow, refusing to get up. It was yet another day to wake up and do chores. On today's list was to make breakfast, clean the kitchen, change the seasonal dinnerware and help prep dinner. Of course by the time the final part had to be done, Itachi would throw her out of the kitchen. Just because she sucked at cooking didn't mean she couldn't prep. It would give her more time to herself in the end.

Sakura giggled to herself before throwing the blanket off and stretching. She jumped up and grabbed a robe to cover herself. She made her bed, went straight to the dresser and began to look for her uniform. It was a blue dress that came just above the knee with a wrap around apron. Only those who cooked had the full body apron. It was simple but the only downfall was the stupid zipper in the back. Sakura always had a hard time with it. After a minute she finally got it to reach the top, sighing with relief. Next she grabbed a hair tie and put her hair up in a ponytail, which she hated to no end. It always tugged to much and caused her to have headaches. She slipped on her blue sandals before running out the door.

Over the years she grew to love living in the palace just as they said; though she still missed her parents dearly. It took a couple years before she fully gave up on the idea of them coming back to get her. She was never lonely, not with Ino around; the two became inseparable. She guided Sakura in every chore that they did together but also with their studies of the castles, royal families, lands and history. Unfortunately Sakura was so good at what she did and was such a fast learner that she surpassed Ino and began doing many different things. Thus they had very little time as adults to see each other.

When she was seven, Sakura's main chores included helping maids clean the halls and staircases. It wasn't too hard in the beginning, but doing it daily did get tiring. She had never done so much activity beforehand. A year later she started to help Ino in the gardens, trimming bushes and trees, taking care of the flowers and making sure the ponds stayed clean. It was much more fun since Ino was there and always enthusiastic about what she did. When it came to nature, Ino knew what to do.

It was around this time she began to study herbs and medicine. The two tried finding books in the library but neither could really understand it on their own. Sakura had run into a girl named Shizune one day while chasing after someone and ended up befriending her. She had been there because of the constant meeting the Lords held. She was the niece of Senju Tsunade and was in training to become a medic. Since the Uchiha didn't have many, Lord Hashirama sent Lady Tsunade to help with teaching the Uchiha medics as part of their truce. So whenever Shizune could come by, Tsunade would teach the three girls a little more together.

When Sakura was ten she began to go into town and help with deliveries. She was trying to get stronger and do more since her admiration for Lady Tsunade inspired her. It did impress Itachi, Sasuke's older brother, as well as his cousin Shisui. Every so often the two would help in the town for other things and would bring her along. She felt at ease with them around considering they would make sure everyone was alright and thought of others before themselves. Though she did get them in trouble quite a bit, but considering they always blamed Sasuke and Naruto for many of their pranks it was deserved. Especially when the duo got away with blaming Obito. The poor man was always dragged into something he had nothing to do with.

She loved the Uchiha clan because even when things like that happened they still loved one another. By the time she was thirteen she came to realize how romantic they could be. At some point she and Ino both started to see Sasuke differently, especially since he was training to become a warrior. He was their friend but they wanted to be something more. It was one particular day when Shisui suddenly began advancing towards Ino. It shocked Sakura that he even considered her. Even more shockingly Ino was so hung up on Sasuke she never realized it.

Sakura felt sorry for Shisui since he did anything and everything he could for her. He paid attention to what she liked such as helping fix her food the way she liked it, helping out in the gardens with her favorite flower patch and helping with whatever chores she needed, all in his free time. Thus Sakura tried to find a way to help her best friend realize what was going on. After spending time with the Uchiha boy she found out just how much an Uchiha could put there love into a single person. But to this day Ino still denies everything and takes it as a joke. Shisui still does little things and refuses to move on.

Sasuke never seemed interested in girls. It only took a couple years for Sakura to give up completely and another two years before Ino finally gave up as well. Sasuke was so focused on becoming a warrior, just as his parents wanted. He never abandoned his friends though, saying he would die an old man with no significant other but would be happy as long as he had his friends. It was a bit sappy at the time but understandable. Itachi always said his brother would eventually fulfill his purpose and find a partner. Sakura wasn't sure if it would happen but she would believe it as long as Itachi did.

Sasuke's best friends Naruto never let the sappy comment go though. Out of all the Uzumaki, he was the loudest, funniest and most caring. He and Sasuke were like she and Ino, friends until the end. Naruto was the son of Uzumaki Kushina, a vibrant young woman who is destined to be the next head once Lady Mito passes on her power to her. There was mystery surrounding the Uzumaki Clan and they told only a select few their secrets, unless you were a Senju. After Lord Hashirama and Lady Mito married, the two clans formed one ultimate kingdom. After a while Mito chose Kushina to continue the Uzumaki clan traditions with Naruto as well, thus they visited often to learn formality.

He was very rambunctious at first but as he got older, he matured. He knew when to be formal, who to be formal around and when he can just be casual with his friends. Though his adopted sister Karin was a different story. Kidnapped as a child after her mother was left to die in battle, she was saved by Minato and Kushina. She was cold and reserved until Ino started talking. She had a way with making people feel happy after a while. Sakura had an idea how of Karin felt being so reserved so she tried to become friends as well. Of course she ended up liking Sasuke too. At one point the three had a feud over him. Out of amusement, Itachi and Naruto gave them a nickname. Sasuke's worse nightmare. Of course he did not find it funny.

At sixteen Itachi tried to teach her to cook so that she had yet another skill. But since cooking was his past time things did not go as planned. He was so nit picky it was too difficult to work with him. Especially when she tried to make something, it never turned out to have a pleasant taste so he threw her out of the kitchen. It only took a month before he tried to ban her from the kitchen completely. Even telling the kitchen staff to never let her cook. He was such a pain.

Sakura was eighteen when she was rushed into being a Roommaid like Ino, tending to rooms for guests. It was horrible since some guests were messy on purpose. Luckily Uchiha were neat, so cleaning the warriors rooms was fast. Karin helped out when she came around and the two always gabbed about how Shisui, as usual, helped Ino get done quicker. Once chores were done you could do anything you wanted as long as things were cleaned properly. So Ino rushed because of whatever reason and it left Shisui checking behind her. Even Karin got annoyed by her idiocy.

But in the end they couldn't blame her for acting that way. The Uchiha were demons after all and had a very special gift. They had the Sharingan, which gave them special reflexes in battle and a longer life span. But what was even scarier was the next level of it. The Mangekyo Sharingan that, once awakened, caused instant longevity. The would cease aging like a normal human which allowed them an eternity to hone their skills if need be. That was why a few Uchiha throughout the ages did not die. But it only awakened in a few special individuals. Unfortunately for Shisui and Itachi, they were only thirteen when it happened to them. So now as everyone around them grew, they were stuck as teenagers. Which in a way was fun in a way considering Sasuke was Itachi's younger brother but seemed the other way around.

Many of the adults had been looking for a solutions to their problem, hoping to either age them drastically or, what the all wanted, a way to strip the longevity away. From reading history books, Sakura could conclude that Lord Madara was one of the first to ever gain the Mangekyo. But she did notice some of the pages had strange text which made it difficult to decipher even with references from other books. She did read part of one book mentioning an Eternal Mangekyo but did not know what it did. It seemed anything pertaining to the Uchiha was misplaced to the library and immediately taken out once they realized it.

Lately everyone who tended to the palace chores began to have chore changes. The purpose was so that everyone could do most of everything in case it was needed. They didn't usually do chore changes often though but lately it seemed like every other week a new schedule was made up for everyone. Sakura believed it was because of the constant meetings they were having as of late. Many Lords and Army Leaders used the Uchiha Palace for their planning. Rumors were spread but unlike her best friend, the pinkette knew better than to take it all seriously. She paid more attention to what was going on and putting the basic rumors together rather than the extra ridiculous details the staff came up with.

Once Sakura got down the stairs and rounded her way to the kitchen she noticed a few maids were at the table comforting another. All of them were sad while the one was crying. Before she had a chance to run over to find out what happened, she was yanked into the kitchen. Sakura grabbed the hand that had her and gripped tightly, getting a yelp. She looked over to see Obito with a look of pain from her hardening grip.

"Don't you know better than to sneak up on me, let alone put your hands on me?" she snapped.

"If you ever wanted to be in the army... you have the potential," he whined as she let go. He rubbed his hand, trying to make the pain go away.

"Why did you drag me in here?" she asked turning to him.

"You have yet to hear what happened last night. Miki had been sick as we all know from the last attack on the town a while back. She said she was getting better but apparently she lied." Obito paused, crossing his arms with a sigh. "The other maids are upset because they found her in her bed this morning unmoving. She died in her sleep last night."

She covered her mouth, trying to hold back tears. Miki was an older woman who helped teach all the maids. She was cheerful, caring, helpful and above all an overachiever. She was even Lord Madara's personal maid, the highest privilege one could get. To think she passed away was heartbreaking. Sakura though of her as an Aunt due to the woman helping raise her. It was then she realized that her daughter, Fumiko, was the one out there crying loudly. Obito had blocked her path before she had a chance to run out, knowing what she wanted to do.

"Today chores are an option for most. Lord Madara has given order that if the maids need a few days to grieve then it is so. Everyone else knew Miki well so he has extended it out to everyone else who works in the palace."

"Okay I heard you so move," she said trying to get past him, tears forming in her eyes.

"Sakura... Lady Mikoto has summoned you to her chambers immediately."

"Why?"

"I have no idea. But it is urgent. I was told to give you information before the rest of the warriors gather for our quest." he said before heading out to leave the kitchen.

Sakura watched him leave in a rush, wondering what she missed when she was asleep. She wanted to check on Fumiko but knew Lady Mikoto should never be kept waiting. After wiping her tears away and gathering herself, Sakura left the kitchen. She used the other exit and made her way up the stairs. Once she reached the top she ran down the halls and went to find the room. Lady Mikoto had taken such good care of her that she was like a second mother. Things were so casual with them that she knew when Lady Mikoto became formal with Sakura, something was wrong.

After reaching the hallway leading to her room, Sakura stopped. She stood there for a few minutes just staring down the hall. She could feel the sadness still swelling in her chest. She wanted to cry but held tried to keep herself composed. She did not want to drop her formalities with Lady Mikoto just because of her emotions. Even if the woman told her it was alright in her presences. With a deep breath she forced herself to continue down to Lady Mikoto's room. She knocked three times until she heard a voice beckoning her in. Sakura turned the handle and went in.

The room was enormous and so elegant. The bed sat off to the right of the room as you entered. It was big enough for four people to sleep in with blue sheets and various blue shaded comforters. A white and red canopy hung above it with golden tassels tying each section together so it was easily accessible. The walls were a peach color with gray marble floors. Off to the left was a giant dresser with many perfumes, make up and other accessories. The mirror that was behind it was the centerpiece to the room. It was tall and just as long as the dresser with intricate designs carved into the wood around it. Lady Mikoto sat at it while her husband brushed her long flowing hair.

"Lady Mikoto, you summoned me," Sakura greeted with a bow. "Lord Fugaku."

"Sakura," he greeted turning and giving a slight bow back out of respect. Uchiha rarely bow to staff but the two held a mutual respect enough for him to do such.

"Ah, I was wondering if Obito sent my message. Love, you should prepare the troops," she said turning to Fugaku.

"I shall be back soon." He gave her the brush and a swift kiss on the cheek before turning to leave out the room. He close the door behind him as Sakura stepped further in the room.

"Come Sakura." She waved the brush behind her as she spoke. Sakura nodded, walking forward to grab it.

"So, Lady Mikoto, what was it you wished to speak about?" Sakura asked, slightly intimidated. She hated formality even though she was raised with it. Whenever this type of situation came up she could never get use to the intimidation or the distress she felt.

"As you have heard, Miki has passed on. With Lord Madara allowing the maids to take some time for themselves, we need replacements. I ask you personally because I want to give you a choice. You knew her as family so if you wish to have time to grieve then so be it. But I must ask if you could help with the rooms these next few days," Mikoto explained.

"I do not understand my lady," Sakura said grabbing more hair to brush through.

"I figured as much. Do you remember when we had received word of a new kingdom that suddenly formed near the Lightning Province?"

"I do. It was a few years ago. The Lord of Cloud Castle fell around that time and no one has heard from them since."

"Correct," Mikoto said, a suddenly look of fear in her eyes. "We have word that Lord A was to take over but the entire castle had been taken down before he could. Only a single survivor has made it to the Uzumaki. If what he has told them is true, war is upon us. We have even more alliances forming through the land. The last big alliance was when the Uchiha and Senju finally settled their differences. This however will change history completely. Because of such, the Uchiha are opening the doors of our palace for meetings."

"Wait, is that really a smart move!? This is a place for rest, not war plans! That is why the Uchiha Castle exists," Sakura almost shouted with anger.

"I understand. I had my doubts as well but Lord Madara says he has plans. He has given Fugaku the order to officially take over the castle as a Lord while he retires here. So he must know something we do not."

"Retire... here?" Sakura was slightly confused. She did not know much about Madara except that he was a powerful demon among the Uchiha and he spent most of his time at the palace than the castle. Now she knew why.

"He is trying to establish trust, no doubt Lord Hashirama's influence. And Lady Kushina has told me that she and her husband, now known as Lord Minato, have taken over the Uzumaki Castle. Things are changing for the better. Whoever this new enemy is it is allowing us to follow through with the peace we all dreamed of. It is almost official."

"So if the meeting is here then you need help setting things up..." Sakura pulled the hair back to braid it. "So I am guessing with the state of emergency, you need maids because they will be here soon."

"Guests will be arriving tomorrow evening. The troops are heading back to regroup at the castle so to lead the guests here. Some tension will arise from it I am sure. But this is a start."

"I will help out. I will grieve for Miki on my own but I know how important this is. If need be I will take on more rooms for those who need time." Sakura knew not many maids would be able to do as then need, especially if forced into their chores. She figured with this being the first meeting not many would show up. So she could take on the task required; she was known as one of the fastest and cleanest they had. By the time she needed help, the others would be available.

"Thank you Sakura." Lady Mikoto said with a sigh of relief.

"My lady, I know you have shared too much with me as you always do but... could you possibly explain more to me later?" Sakura inquired. She was always curious on current events.

"I will explain more later on today when we have time in the library. For now, go do whatever you want today. I know your chores do not need to be done," she smiled.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Okay so I wanted to get some stuff established with this chapter. Next chapter there will be more info about history provinces which if you catch onto their conversation you can pretty much guess how the lands already. And don't worry, next chapter you get a little bit of a Saku/Mada moment.**_


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